Walter Turner: Navy veteran, former VFW commander

Walter Turner has been known to knock a few back and share some amazing stories. But the 64-yearold Navy veteran wants to be remembered for more than that.

By Kim EatonTuscaloosa Magazine

Walter Turner has been known to knock a few back and share some amazing stories. But the 64-yearold Navy veteran wants to be remembered for more than that.“A lot of people think we’re a bunch of old farts that smoke, drink and tell war stories,” said the former post commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6022. “We’re trying to prove them wrong, and the best way to do that is get involved with the community.”With more than 270 members, including men and women who served in all military branches, the VFW serves not only the veterans and their families, but also the community. The organization is a strong supporter of children and education, offering scholarship programs, essay contests, teacher awards and scouting awards.“We want to give kids a hands on experience, be involved with veterans,” Turner said. “So when they start learning about the different conflicts, they understand what it is all about. They are going to be our veterans of the future.”For veterans, the VFW serves as a one-stop shop, providing assistance for filing disability claims and getting into the VA medical center, as well as helping deployed service members’ families through an unmet needs grant program and donating phone cards to military personnel overseas. “We’re here to be a member of the community, to help the community as much as we can,” Turner said.He would know. He’s the one responsible for keeping the organization running smoothly and ensuring the programs remain in place. While serving as the post commander for the past five years, Turner took a break from the post command this year, but is still heavily involved in the nonprofit’s daily operations. With 18 programs and administrative functions falling under his leadership role, Turner spends a lot of time on computers. Lucky for him, computers are his thing.Enlisting in the Navy when he was 25 years old, he has served at several duty stations over the years, including the USS Grand Canyon Naval Station out of Mayport, Fla., USS Mount Whitney Naval Station out of Norfolk, Va., USS Abraham Lincoln Naval Air Station out of Alameda, Calif., and several posts in Washington, D.C. His job: data processing. Referring to himself as an “old mainframe dinosaur,” he learned different computing processes and programs so he could run the computer systems at the various naval stations. While a skill he was able to put to use later in life, he was more excited about the traveling. From France and England to Saudi Arabia and Hawaii, Turner experienced cultures and visited places that most only dream about. “There’s something about being on the flight deck, the sun setting and all you see is the deep blue of the water, with maybe a few porpoises jumping around,” he said. “The solitude, it’s almost comforting and I do miss that. But I don’t miss being away from my wife and kids.”After 25 years, Turner retired from the Navy, but he did not stay still for long. Less than a year after retirement, he joined the VFW. He heard it was a place he could have a cheap drink and play some darts, but he quickly learned there was more to it than that. The social hall-type facility serves as an outlet for other veterans who have “been there, done that.”“It’s comforting just to interact. A lot of it is listening,” Turner said. “We’re a big family here. Everyone knows each other. I just love it; it kind of grows on you. So I’m here as long as they’ll have me, as long as there is a need.”